SBZipfan

Using RPI numbers, Pitt's strength-of-schedule was #1, Akron's was #85. Pitt's best win was over #15, Akron's over #24. Pitt's worst loss was to #27, Akron's to #99. https://rpiupdatemenssoccer.blogspot.com/2023/07/akron.html https://rpiupdatemenssoccer.blogspot.com/2023/07/pittsburgh.html

UWV tops Tulsa 1-0 in 2OT to reach the Elite Eight.

Kentucky up 2-0 on Santa Clara at the half, goals at 5' and 10'.

Now 7-0! Reminds me of the 2014 World Cup semifinal between Germany and Brazil ... Now 8-0! Is PSU still on the field? Hofstra goals at 55:30 61:23 61:44 67:59

Hofstra now up 4-0 on PSU. Seems like the Pride is pretty pissed at being RPI #10 and not getting a seed, while #21 PSU did.

Pitt takes it, 5-2 So WVU is the only MAC team to reach the Sweet 16.

WVU wins the shoot-out over VT, 4-3. Providence over Marshall 2-1 2OT IU over BUGS 2-0 NIU scores in the 5th minute, Pitt answers a minute later.

WVU - VT 1-1 after 2OT, going to PKs. UCLA scored early and led #7 Duke 1-0, but in the 87th minute Duke scored two goals 30 sec apart. Blue Devils win 2-1. Indiana leads BUGS 2-0 in the 70th minute.

Nonsense. Akron outshot SC 17-3, 4-3 OG, 9-0 corner kicks, all while fouling less, 6-14.

Ouch. 4 MAC teams in the final 32, and Akron not one of them.

Starting OT ...

MAC winning the night: BUGS over Louisville 1-0 Ga.St. over Charlotte 1-0 NIU over Oakland 2-1

Oops! Of course you're right.

Neither is happening. NCAA aims for around 20% of teams to make the tournament in each sport. 20% of 208 is 41.6, so 48 already exceeds the baseline number. (For comparison, in basketball, 20% of 350 is 70, and there is a 68 team tournament.) On the other hand, NCAA rules mandate at least as many at-large teams as conference champs. There are currently 23 confereneces in DI mens soccer, so 46 is the minimum number of teams in the tournament.

And Santa Clara has to start play at what will feel like 10 PM to their players. EDIT: Wrong! As pointed out below by bigzipguy (whose brain is clearly bigger than mine), it will feel like 4 PM. I believe there have been studies in basketball that have shown that the most important aspect of home advantage is how far the opponent has to travel. As for why a 12-1-4 team has to travel, it's because most of those wins were against weak teams. Still, their biggest win was over Portland, which put a 4-0 beat-down on NIU three days before losing to Santa Clara. Of course, NIU traveled to the west coast to play that game ... tl;dr: Zips should win, but every team in the tournament has had enough success to be dangerous, including Santa Clara.